INDIANAPOLIS -- Eight years into his career and, according to the Peyton Manning personal vocational blueprint, the Indianapolis Colts' star quarterback has reached the halfway point of his NFL tenure.

Manning reiterated, as the Colts began a three-day minicamp here Friday, that he wants to play eight more seasons. He initially revealed his desires to the Indianapolis Star.

If he follows that game plan, Manning will play through the 2013 season, when he will be 38. The Colts' star, who captured the league passing title each of the last two seasons, turned 30 in March. Eight more seasons, and a total of 16 for his career, would be one more year than his father, Archie Manning, logged in his career.

Manning is under contract through the 2012 season and, in the past, has acknowledged that he prefers to be a "Colt for life." Colts owner Jim Irsay has also indicated that he wants Manning, the first overall selection in the 1998 draft and the cornerstone for the transformation of the Indianapolis franchise into a perennial playoff contender, to play his entire career with the team.

The two-time most valuable player has dealt with some injuries in the past, but has remained relatively healthy, and has never missed a game. Manning has appeared in 108 straight regular-season contests, and started in all of them. Of the 4,449 passes logged by Indianapolis quarterbacks since his arrival, Manning has accounted for 97.4 percent of them. In three seasons, he took every snap.

"I've been lucky from a health standpoint, and I feel really good," Manning said. "The injuries I've had, we've been able to deal with them. I don't see, at least now, why I can't play 16 seasons."

Such a tenure, which seems reasonable given the physical condition in which Manning always keeps himself, is hardly unreasonable. It would mean Manning likely would challenge the league's passing marks, most of which are held by Dan Marino. Manning has completed 2,769 of 4,333 passed for 33,189 yards, with 244 touchdown passes and 130 interceptions. Double all those numbers and Manning would surpass Marino's current records for attempts, completions, passing yards and touchdown passes.

But more than records, of course, Manning wants the Super Bowl ring that has eluded him and the Colts. The team seems to have put behind it the gnawing loss to Pittsburgh in an divisional-round playoff game last year, and is poised to move ahead in 2006, but there are times Manning and others sneak a peek in the rear-view mirror.

"You'll be sitting watching [tape] and all of a sudden the playoff game will pop up and it kind of forces you to confront it again," Manning said. "But this is a really mature team. We've had some changes, but a lot of the guys here have been through it. We've just got to find a way to finish the deal. There's still time, with this group here, to finish what we want to accomplish."

One concession that Manning has made to age this year is in his offseason throwing program. Quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell suggested Manning rest his arm for a few months and, after the season, the Colts' star did not throw until May 1. For an acknowledged gym rat, and one of the NFL's hardest and most diligent workers, the withdrawal was a difficult one, and Manning allowed there were times he thought "they were going to have to put me in a straitjacket."

The time off, though, has served Manning well. In the Friday minicamp practice, he threw with velocity and, as always, great accuracy.

"Because I take so many snaps in the season, most of the snaps even in practice, this is probably a smart thing," Manning said. "You want your arm to be live during the season, and it feels really good."

Black@Gold Forever32

05-20-2006, 01:09 PM

Peyton wants to play eight more years. Thats alright with me. It will be eight more years of falling short in the playoffs for Mr. Manning. Peyton is a great QB but its funny going back to college he never has won the big game. Now this year they have to get over the loss of Edgerrin James at RB. Jospeh Addai very well might be a good player and Rhodes is a decent RB but they are not Edgerrin James. Edge will be missed. I see the Colts once again marching through the season but come playoff time it will be the same old story. Colts go home early.

clevestinks

05-20-2006, 04:16 PM

38 years old, sounds about right. As long as he can stay away from Mr.Porter. Manning is a qb that get very frustrated when defenders get to him. And Joey got to him, over and over.

Black@Gold Forever32

05-20-2006, 04:25 PM

38 years old, sounds about right. As long as he can stay away from Mr.Porter. Manning is a qb that get very frustrated when defenders get to him. And Joey got to him, over and over.

This just in Peyton Manning is once again sacked by Joey Porter. It was great watching the Steelers do that to Jesus Christ in football cleats. I live in Indiana and I'm around crazy Colts fans all the time. But the Monday after we beat the Colts in the playoffs. I took my Terrible Towel into work and waved it all around for the Colts fans that I work with to see. It was a great day. Colts fans really think Peyton can walk on water. It drives me nuts. Peyton is a great QB but its liking watching a robot out there on the field. I'll take a QB like Ben any day. I know Ben would like to put up Peyton stats but he is just fine with winning football games. Thats why Ben is the perfect QB for the Steelers.

Brady12

05-20-2006, 08:20 PM

Peyton wants to play eight more years. Thats alright with me. It will be eight more years of falling short in the playoffs for Mr. Manning. Peyton is a great QB but its funny going back to college he never has won the big game. Now this year they have to get over the loss of Edgerrin James at RB. Jospeh Addai very well might be a good player and Rhodes is a decent RB but they are not Edgerrin James. Edge will be missed. I see the Colts once again marching through the season but come playoff time it will be the same old story. Colts go home early.

Hehe :sofunny: I agree.

Ohio Steeler

05-20-2006, 08:40 PM

I cant stand Peyton and to me he belongs in the same class as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino... Good QB's they just cant and will never win the BIG one.......

Black@Gold Forever32

05-20-2006, 09:53 PM

I cant stand Peyton and to me he belongs in the same class as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino... Good QB's they just cant and will never win the BIG one.......

Well I think that all of the mentioned QB's were more then just good. They were great. Yea Marino and Kelly didn't win a Super Bowl. Dan and Jim were 0-5 between them. Its yet to be determined if Peyton will win one. But football is a team game and it takes more then a great QB to win one. A QB is very important to a football team and they deserve alot of the blame if their teams never do win the Super Bowl. But I still think a QB can be a great player without a ring.

Dan Marino was a great QB. He rewrote the NFL record book with the records he set off his golden arm. Plus with the three QB's we mentioned he probally had the least help and talent around him. So I wouldn't judge Dan Marino as hard as Jim Kelly or Peyton Manning.

Suitanim

05-20-2006, 09:56 PM

If he could figure out a way to play all his games in the regular season, all would be well for him...

Ohio Steeler

05-20-2006, 10:01 PM

Well I think that all of the mentioned QB's were more then just good. They were great. Yea Marino and Kelly didn't win a Super Bowl. Dan and Jim were 0-5 between them. Its yet to be determined if Peyton will win one. But football is a team game and it takes more then a great QB to win one. A QB is very important to a football team and they deserve alot of the blame if their teams never do win the Super Bowl. But I still think a QB can be a great player without a ring.

Dan Marino was a great QB. He rewrote the NFL record book with the records he set off his golden arm. Plus with the three QB's we mentioned he probally had the least help and talent around him. So I wouldn't judge Dan Marino as hard as Jim Kelly or Peyton Manning.

point takin

SteelShooter

05-21-2006, 04:21 AM

I cant stand Peyton and to me he belongs in the same class as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino... Good QB's they just cant and will never win the BIG one.......

I do not mind Marino...but Kelly and Manning can bite the big one. They are/were whining, run the score up, poor sportsmen.

You nailed this one!

shimmysteelerfan

05-21-2006, 04:25 AM

manning sucks im tired of hearing about him bla,bla,bla.

RoethlisBURGHer

05-21-2006, 04:41 PM

He wants 8 more years of choking in the big games?Fine with me,chalk up 8 more Super Bowl Championships between the Steelers and Patriots.

Hines86Ward

05-21-2006, 04:42 PM

He wants 8 more years of choking in the big games?Fine with me,chalk up 8 more Super Bowl Championships between the Steelers and Patriots.

Not between the Steelers and Patriots, between the Steelers and some NFC team. We dominate the AFC....

Livinginthe past

05-21-2006, 05:10 PM

Not between the Steelers and Patriots, between the Steelers and some NFC team. We dominate the AFC....

For one year?

TOTAL DOMINATION. :sofunny:

NM

SteelCityMan786

05-21-2006, 05:45 PM

Manning wants to play 8 more years............In his dreams

Ohio Steeler

05-22-2006, 04:58 AM

8 more years of coming up short

RoethlisBURGHer

05-22-2006, 07:32 PM

Not between the Steelers and Patriots, between the Steelers and some NFC team. We dominate the AFC....

In the 70's we had a lapse between Super Bowl wins,and if we become a dynasty we won't win the Super Bowl every year.The team I think would win it (if not us) is the Pats.

3 to be 4

05-22-2006, 11:18 PM

yeah, i bet the Patriots win 1 or 2 this decade. Oh wait.......

DIESELMAN

05-23-2006, 07:58 PM

8, 10, 12 more years who cares...until he gets that chicken bone out of his neck he'll always be a choker when it counts.....:helmet: